


Mer

by seeyousoo



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Injury Recovery, Interspecies Romance, Light Angst, M/M, Mythical Beings & Creatures
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-05
Updated: 2018-03-03
Packaged: 2019-03-14 06:25:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13584177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seeyousoo/pseuds/seeyousoo
Summary: Chanyeol doesn't believe mermaids exist, until one day, he ends up keeping one in his bathtub.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> this fic is based on [this](http://kokokysoo.tumblr.com/post/162487800038/chanyeol-didnt-believe-in-mermaids-until-he) edit I made a while ago. i've been meaning to write this for a while and i finally got around to doing it yay
> 
> updates may be slow. i hope you can all be patient with me!
> 
> warnings for blood and mild gore. i'll put them in the notes so you know which chapters they apply to!
> 
> title taken from the song [mer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2RQPD_eWQo) by hyukoh
> 
> old working title: leave me your wake

The beach is empty when Chanyeol steps onto the sand.

It had been raining all night. Not a light, pathetic rain, nor a sudden burst of medium showers that faded momentary into sunlight. It had been raining, really raining, and it is clear from the way the sand sticks to his shoes like mud that it was not yet fully dry, darker patches littering the surface of the sand across the length of the beach.

A large pier, old and abandoned, still dripping with rainwater, sits in the sea about halfway down the beach. It could be his imagination, but at this distance it looks like it's almost swaying in the wind. Pulling his backpack more securely onto his back, Chanyeol makes his way towards it.

The stairs up to the pier creak under his feet as he steps on them. He walks up them gingerly, careful not to trip on the slippery wood, weakened by water and the passing of time. The pier itself is no better, groaning under the weight of Chanyeol's body as he shuffles his way along, heading for the part of the pier that hangs out into the water the furthest. The fences on either side have been whittled down over time, hanging on by whatever is left of the rusted nails keeping them attached, or missing altogether. One wrong move and you could easily tumble over the edge.

Chanyeol isn't afraid, though. He's been coming here for years, the barely-standing infrastructure slowly growing to be the place he goes to clear his head. It's quiet, and no one dares go near it. If his mother knew he were here she would surely kill him. The thought makes him smile and he whistles a tune to himself as he nears the end of the pier, dropping his backpack from his shoulders and zipping it open to take out a battered old notebook and pencil. He sits down with a grunt, swinging his legs over to dangle off the edge. He opens his notebook and starts to write.

A short distance behind him, Chanyeol’s village is just starting to stir to life. The village rests on an island that sits just off the coast of the mainland. If the island is small - and it is, only a couple thousand square kilometres wide - the village is even more so, populated by a thousand or so people that live in sturdy little houses along the cliff-sides and rocks. Most of them are elderly, still standing strong like cliffs against the harsh winds. They've lived there their entire lives.

Unsurprisingly, a large amount of the population makes a living by catching and selling fish in the many fishing ports and markets that line the coast of the mainland. The only way to get there is on a rickety old fishing boat, captained by the old and greying Mr Jung, who has done so every single day for as long as Chanyeol can remember, occasionally helped by his two daughters when they have time to spare.

It’s this very boat that Chanyeol sees pass by in the distance, perched on the edge of the old pier with his long legs dangling off the side, and he takes a break from scribbling down song lyrics to watch as it slowly vanishes into the fog, disappearing as it travels in the direction of the mainland. Chanyeol should currently be on it, heading off like the proper and reliable student he is to attend his daily lectures and seminars at university. He probably has about fifty messages from Sehun, all asking where the hell he is and why he didn't tell him he wasn't going in today. Chanyeol can picture the scowl on his face, eyebrows furrowed, and lips pressed into a pout. The thought makes him laugh, and he reminds himself to check his phone later in the day. He could do it now, but that would mean moving and he is quite comfortable where he is, cold air brushing his ankles through his socks. He's sure Sehun will forgive him if he waits a few hours longer to reply.

For some reason, he had decided to spend his morning at the beach instead of going to school. He just felt like it today, like the ocean was calling to him, or some rubbish like that. The cloudy skies and rough waters are foretelling of another rainstorm to come soon, perhaps later that day. There’s a buzz in the air, the threat of lightning. Chanyeol pulls his coat closer to him as he turns back to his notes.

Chanyeol loves his tiny island, away from all the chaos of the mainland cities he has only ever been to on school trips. He was born and raised in this village, grew up to the rhythm of the tide and harsh sea salt winds. His family home is only a mile away from the sea, and where he lives now, in an apartment block in the newer, more industrial side of town, is still close enough to make the journey every other week. He’s used to the annoyance of gulls and bitter stench of the sea, something his friends would all complain about whenever they visited from the mainland. This type of weather, monotonous and grey, is undeniably boring, but it’s familiar and in a way rather calming. It’s why he’s chosen to sit on the pier, far out into the open water. He feels relaxed here. The ocean just has that effect on people, he guesses.

Everyone in his village loves the ocean, and Chanyeol is no different. Swinging his legs up to cross them under his body, he lets the rumbling of the waves fill his senses as he scribbles messily in his notebook.

Chanyeol's world is quiet, peaceful despite the tumbling seas. He’s halfway through writing something, a tune dancing on the tip of his tongue, when he gets distracted from his train of thought by the sound of someone groaning.

It's a deep voice, low and strained, and quiet, smothered by the squawking of gulls and monotonous rhythm of the water. He almost misses it, and when he does catch it again he doesn't think much of it at first. He knows that, while this area is rarely frequented by members of the village, some old folk like to walk their dogs along the shore. Sometimes the schools in the mainland bring their students here to study the rocks. It's most likely one of these people making the noise. Chanyeol scratches his nose and goes back to his scribbling. They'll leave eventually.

But then it happens again. And again. Chanyeol stops writing and looks up from his notebook. Putting his pencil down, he looks around, scanning his eyes across the endless blue that surrounds him, the dripping rocks and sodden wood of the pier on which he sits. There is no one else on the pier at that moment, and when he looks over his shoulder he can see that the nearest person is ages away, all the way back on shore; an old man watching as his dog chases the waves that brush along the sand and pebbles. He is definitely too far away for the grunting to belong to him. 

Turning back around, Chanyeol sits still and listens. It’s a few minutes before it happens again, but when it does, Chanyeol figures out almost immediately where it’s coming from.

It's coming from below him.

Curious, but a little cautious, Chanyeol moves his notepad and bag to the side and gets down to lie on his front, trying his best not to get his clothes caught on the aged and splintering wood. Gripping the end of the pier, he pulls himself forward and looks down under it.

A few metres below, half submerged in water and clinging to the leg of pier directly below Chanyeol himself, is a man.

Chanyeol almost slips. The man is young, around Chanyeol's age perhaps, and he is shirtless, his bare neck, shoulders and chest showing in flashes of white beneath the water as he struggles to keep himself afloat as wave after wave fights to loosen his grip. And white is an accurate description of the man's skin, Chanyeol thinks, because he is incredibly pale, an almost sickly shade of white and grey that leaves Chanyeol stunned as he squints down at the quivering figure. Hair, long and black, cascades down has back and shoulders, fanning around him like a dark halo.

"Hey, what are you doing down there?" he calls out. "Are you okay?"

It’s a little strange, Chanyeol thinks. The water is too cold this time of year for people to swim in it, and even if it was warmer, not many people would choose to go near the pier. Its slippery chipped wood is covered in barnacles and limpets, and the murky waters are full of old abandoned netting, glass, and broken-off parts of boats that had docked there decades ago, making it rather a dangerous place for a leisurely swim. Did this man drift over by mistake, or was he just foolish enough to brave swimming in such a hazardous place?

Chanyeol has never seen someone so strange. He's so distracted by the peculiarity of the man's appearance that he almost doesn't notice the stripes of deep crimson on the stranger's hands, dripping in thick rivulets and mingling with sea water as it drips down his arms. The man’s back is no different, dark red scars and weeping cuts crisscrossing across his pale skin. Another grunt, pained as it rips from the man’s throat, only confirms Chanyeol’s concerns.

Nope. Definitely not okay.

He wastes no time in leaping up and stripping off his coat and scarf. The winter wind bites and nips at his skin but he pays it no mind as he shuffles out of his shoes and socks, leaving him in nothing but jeans and a t-shirt to protect him from the harsh late January weather. That man is injured and needs his help, he can deal with being a bit chilly if it means getting the stranger to safety as soon as possible.

Shivering hard, Chanyeol braces himself. Backing up a little, he takes as big a breath as he can muster and runs, jumping off the edge of the pier and diving into the murky black waters below.

The moment his skin touches the surface of the water, his entire body erupts in a pain so sudden and extreme he forgets for a second how to breathe. His skin feels like it’s being stabbed all over by a million tiny knives. It takes all the energy he has to swim to the surface, gasping for air to fill lungs that feel ten times smaller than before. Flicking his hair out of his eyes, he looks around until he sees the injured man, taking another short breath before paddling his way over, arms doing their best to pull him despite feeling like they’re encased in ice.

The man has his eyes shut tight, a pained grimace clear on his face as Chanyeol gets closer. He’s still clutching onto the wooden leg of the pier like his life depends on it. Chanyeol’s heart aches for him. The poor guy must be hurt quite badly. He needs to get him out of the water before he gets worse, or, at least, before they both freeze to death.

When he gets close enough to touch the stranger, Chanyeol calls out to him. “I’m going to get you out of here,” he says between stifled pants. The man doesn’t respond, his grip on the wood loosening enough for him to start slipping down under the surface. Chanyeol urges himself forward and wraps his arms under the man’s shoulders, kicking his legs to pull the man up above the water again. When he is certain that the man’s head is fully out of the water, he rolls around, the man’s back pressed against his chest, and kicks in the direction of the shore.

He only manages to move a metre or so before the strange man lets out a screeching cry so loud it makes Chanyeol’s ears ring. It’s a terrifying noise, high and sharp, almost animalistic, and Chanyeol has to tighten his grip when the man starts thrashing and writhing in his arms. He tries to move again, but the man’s screeching only gets louder and more deafening. Another tug, and he quickly realises that the man isn’t moving easily, like he is being weighed down at the ankles.

He must be caught on something. That might be why he’s injured as well, explaining the screaming. Chanyeol needs to untangle him, else he’ll never get the man to safety without causing more harm than good. He gulps in a few mouthfuls of air before ducking down under water, pulling himself over to the man’s feet to see if he can release him from whatever it is that is keeping him tied up.

His entire plan evaporates like vapour the moment he reaches the man’s feet.

Because instead of feet, what he finds is the end of a large fish tail, shiny scales glistening like jewels in the rippling tide.

Swimming up to the surface, Chanyeol gasps loudly, his lungs bursting and mind reeling with so many thoughts that he feels dizzy. He must be imagining things, right? The cold must have gotten to him, the murky water has him seeing things that aren’t actually there. There’s no way this stranger has a fish tail for legs. That’s simply not possible! Shaking his head, Chanyeol heaves another breath and dives back down, almost choking on the dirty water when he sees that he really isn’t going mad. 

The man has a tail, a real tail, the fin almost as broad as Chanyeol’s shoulders. In the greenish hue of the water the scales look an inky black, like Whitby jet, with a holographic shimmer to them that shifts every time it’s owner jolts and struggles against its restraints. Looking down, Chanyeol sees that the tail is horribly tangled in what looks like an old fishnet knotted around rusted barbed wire. The wire has gone straight through the tail membrane in several parts, tearing it almost to shreds. Blood is seeping from the wound, floating through the water like smoke. 

Chanyeol starts to panic. His mind is racing into over drive, yet he feels so tired, the freezing temperature of the sea now starting to make him feel warm and numb. He’s been in the water for far too long. He doesn’t have anything on him to cut away the wire or netting, and for a split second the thought of just leaving the man- no, _creature_ , behind if it means swimming to safety enters his mind. 

No, he says to himself, don’t be ridiculous. That thing, whatever it is, is still alive and still worth saving. Chanyeol couldn’t live with himself if he just let an innocent creature bleed out when he could stop it from happening. He’s not a monster, and he doesn’t feel like becoming one any time soon.

Looking around, Chanyeol spots a broken bottle nearby, neck buried in the sand and rocks. Taking it in hand, he uses it to slice through the areas of the netting that have gotten knotted, cutting around the wire until it pulls free. He slices open his finger in the process, and it stings violently, but he ignores the pain as best he can in favour of making quick work of the task at hand. The rope is thin and weakened from exposure to water, and soon Chanyeol is back to pulling the strange being to shore, hands holding him tightly under his arms so he doesn’t drift away in the tide.

It takes longer to reach land than Chanyeol had hoped. The distance isn’t that far, and the being is quite light, a lot less heavy than one would expect a fully grown man (or animal) to weigh. But the water is so cold, and Chanyeol is so tired, that it feels like hours before his feet brush against the soft pebbles and sand that line the shore, allowing him to stand up and drag the figure out of the sea and onto the beach. 

His knees give in almost as soon as he reaches dry land, and he crashes onto the beach with a gasp, exhaustion taking over. He feels surprisingly overheated despite all the wind and water, the urge to just close his eyes and sleep growing stronger the longer he lies there in the sand. He needs to dry off and find real warmth as soon as he can. He sees movement out the corner of his eye and remembers he is not alone. It takes all the energy he has left within him to urge himself back up onto his feet, staggering over to the other body lying a few feet away.

The damage of the wire is quite severe. The creature’s tail (Chanyeol rubs his eyes just to make sure that _yes, there is in fact a giant tail right in front of him_ ) is bleeding heavily, the sand around it now dyed a shocking bright red as it soaks up the gushing liquid. Trailing his eyes upwards, he takes in the rest of the tail, dark, shimmering scales no longer dimmed by the filthy water under the pier. They’re beautiful, like small black diamonds, fading into a pearlescent gold just above the creature’s hips, almost transparent where they end just below the navel. Chanyeol eyes trail up the creature’s torso, lines of muscle shifting under pale skin as they tense and shudder in pain. A heaving chest gives way to narrow shoulders, droplets pooling in raised clavicles.

Getting onto his knees, Chanyeol leans forward for a closer look, equal parts frightened and fascinated. There are gills on the creature’s long neck, the same pearlescent shade of gold as the top of its tail, fluttering open and closed in time with its panting. A sharp jawline and plump lips leave Chanyeol at a loss for words, and at this distance, Chanyeol can see that it is not in fact hair on its head but seaweed, thick and ropey, having somehow attached itself to the creature’s skin. He reaches down to touch it, gasping in shock when it breaks off in his fingers, leaving a small patch of glistening transparent gold scales in its wake.

“What are you?”

Chanyeol leaps back with a yelp when the creature’s clenched eyes suddenly open, revealing orbs of such a bottomless black that Chanyeol feels his heart rise into his chest. He’s never seen eyes like that before, the lack of colour simply terrifying to him. He’s seconds from running away as fast as he can to escape the strength of the creature’s gaze, dark like the unexplored depths of the ocean itself. But then he sees something in the creature’s eyes that has him moving forwards again, no longer as afraid as he once was.

The creature is just as frightened as Chanyeol is, it’s expression laced with fear and uncertainty. It’s clearly quite young, and injured, bleeding out in a habitat it probably isn’t used to, and Chanyeol feels his heart ache in sympathy. He runs a hand over its head again, brushing stray strands of weed out of its face, and it seems to lean into the touch, wincing as another pang of pain rips through its body.

“It’s okay,” he says, shushing the creature as it whimpers. “I’ll help you. Just hold on a little longer.”

After a quick scan of his surroundings, Chanyeol concludes that they are alone on the beach, the old man from before nowhere to be seen. Fighting the fatigue that has settled in his bones, Chanyeol jumps up and runs all the way back to the edge of the pier, gathering his discarded clothes and backpack in his arms before sprinting all the way back. Pulling out his scarf, he ties it around the top of the tail fin, hoping it will staunch the flow of blood long enough for him to do something more worthwhile later, and wraps his coat around the rest of the creature’s tail, tying the sleeves in a knot just below the creature’s bottom to stop it falling off in the wind.

The creature grunts in protest when Chanyeol urges it to roll onto its side for him to do so, but it does it anyway, and for that Chanyeol is grateful. He doesn’t know how he would explain away the presence of a real-life mermaid to the folk in his village and any attempt to avoid such an incident is worth the effort. It’s not every day you find mythical beings just floating about in your neighbourhood. Chanyeol doesn’t want that kind of attention, and he suspects the injured creature doesn’t either. It’s best for them both if this be kept as secret as possible.

Trying his hardest to be gentle, Chanyeol pulls on his backpack and squats to lift the creature into his arms, adjusting its own so that they curl around his neck before slowly making his way home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope it's not too obvious that i have never been on a pier before oops
> 
> as always, thank you for reading! feel free to come yell at me on [tumblr](http://kokokysoo.tumblr.com/ask) or in the comments if you have any questions or simply just want to scream about stuff, i'm always up for a chat!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warnings for (lots of) blood, gore, needles, and medical procedures performed by an unprofessional. 
> 
> if you are sensitive to these things then i would be cautious while reading. 
> 
> it's really not as bad as it sounds, but i would rather be safe than sorry!

The journey to Chanyeol's apartment is surprisingly, thankfully, blessedly uneventful.

He had braved taking the main roads knowing that the little side streets and back alley exits would be slippery with frost this time of year, and he did not want to run the risk of falling over and making things worse. With the village already stirring to life, chimney's puffing smoke and small fishing boats sailing away from the docks far behind them, Chanyeol had assumed that he would come across at least one or two people as he carried the injured creature in his arms to the other side of the island. It's early enough for school children to be wandering along the pavements, clinging to their parents as the wind whips around them, or for trucks loaded with shellfish, carp, and eel to ramble down the roads, belching smoke as they pass. 

But for some reason the streets are completely empty. The only living thing that approaches them the entire journey is a stray cat, thick black fur matted and covered in dirt. It hisses at them as they pass, and Chanyeol is about to shoo it away when the being in his arms does it for him. A growl vibrates from the back of its throat, sending the cat scampering away with a yowl. 

Chanyeol tries his hardest not to jostle the being in his arms as he laughs.

Up close, the creature - or mermaid, Chanyeol supposes he should call it - is less scary than he had at first assumed. In fact, it's rather beautiful. It had passed out on his shoulder about ten minutes after Chanyeol had left the beach, head lolled against his neck, buried in the curve of his shoulder, and at this angle it looks sort of sweet, with its golden, pearlescent hues and thick, long eyelashes fluttering against its cheeks.

The gills on the side of its neck are still opening and closing, but they're weaker now, and it's at the sight of them that Chanyeol remembers that merpeople are, as far as his knowledge goes, not supposed to be out of water for long periods of time. It urges him to speed up his paces, moving at a half-jog while smothering the urge to jump a fence and steal some water from a fellow villager's garden hose when the merman's breaths starts coming out in weak, dry wheezes.

Thankfully, it isn't long before they finally reach his apartment block. Chanyeol's arms ache and his back is straining at every movement, and he prays to God not to bump into any other residents as he nudges the door open with his foot and shuffles into the block, running up the stairs when he hears movement nearby. The act of him leaping up flights of stairs jostles the creature in his arms awake, and it starts wailing in pain, claws digging into his back, causing him to trip on several steps. Chanyeol didn't even realise it _had_ claws. 

It's crying is loud and will surely wake someone up, so he forgoes being careful in order to reach his apartment on the fourth and highest floor as quickly as possible. He only mildly regrets it when his back feels mauled beyond recovery, sensitive against the fabric of his shirt.

Chanyeol is not a careless man, but he can be quite forgetful sometimes. It can be easy, he argues, to forgo doing certain things, like locking his front door, when he has grown up in a village practically devoid of crime, its inhabitants so close to each other that they might as well be family, unlike the towns and cities in the mainland. He thanks his past self for being so comfortable with his surroundings as he forces open his front door with a kick and barrels inside, stumbling over discarded shoes and newspapers as he swivels around to slam it closed. 

The creature in his arms whimpers and hisses at the loud noises. The scarf around its tail had fallen off in the commotion and blood is dripping onto the carpet. Chanyeol needs to get the injured mermaid somewhere safe and wet before this situation gets any worse.

He heads for the bathroom, once again using his foot to push open the door. It's a small but comfortable room, with enough space for a separate bathtub and shower, alongside the usual necessities, and creamy white walls that are still slightly damp from his morning shower. It was one of the main reasons he started renting the apartment in the first place, and he's quite fond of it. He ignores all the blood staining his nice clean floors as he looks around for a place to put the mermaid before he can do something to help it.

Keeping an eye on the injured creature’s tail, Chanyeol kneels down to gently lower it into the bathtub.

At first, the mermaid doesn’t want to let go. It lets out a panicked shriek, digging its claws even deeper into Chanyeol’s shoulders, and Chanyeol almost drops it when sharp forks of pain ripple through his already battered skin and muscles. Shushing the creature as best he can, he makes sure it's touching the bottom of the tub before pulling his arms away and letting go, instead bringing them round to coax the creature's claws out of his body.

"It's okay, it's okay. You're fine here, please let go of me."

He takes the mermaid's forearms in his own and rubs them in his hands in what he hopes is a comforting manner, keeping his voice low so as not to scare it. Its arms are strangely soft, human skin dotted with a few patches of roughness that Chanyeol assumes are stray scales, and very slowly the creature stops spitting at him and lessens its grip around his neck, choosing to wrap its arms around itself instead. Wet heat is dripping down Chanyeol's spine, but he ignores it. There are more important things to worry about, like the fact the mermaid is shivering, heavy pants spilling from its dry throat.

Chanyeol reaches over to turn the tap on. He debates whether to use cold water or hot water, or both, but settles for just cold when the merman instantly stops twitching and stares at the gushing tap with wide eyes. Chanyeol uses the moment of stillness to block the plughole, and soon the bathtub is filling up with fresh, clear water. The mermaid has lost a lot of blood and is minutes away from passing out again, its head resting against the back wall, eyes shut and breaths shallow, but it lets out a relieved sigh when the water reaches its body, and then, to Chanyeol's amazement, makes a strange clicking noise, somewhat like a dolphin. There's a cup on the sink that Chanyeol uses to rinse his mouth after brushing his teeth, and Chanyeol grabs it, filling it up with water from the bath before leaning forwards to slowly pour the contents of the cup into the creatures mouth.

With a sound that is almost like a moan, the mermaid swallows the water eagerly, sipping and lapping at the rim of the glass in a way that reminds Chanyeol of a thirsty dog in the height of summer. The clicking noises grow louder with ever gulp. In a way, it sounds like purring. Some of the weed on its head has fallen off where it's rubbed against the tiled wall, slipping down its neck and chest into the bath water, revealing more of the shimmering gold scales that must be there to protect its skull. They’re really quite beautiful. Chanyeol distracts himself from the throbbing in his back and finger by counting them.

When the glass is empty, Chanyeol refills it, repeating the process again until the mermaid stops drinking and lets the water trail down its chin and neck, wetting its gills. Chanyeol places the empty cup on the floor, trying not to think too much about the bloody handprint wrapped around it. 

The creature seems sated for now, heavy breaths mirroring the steady rise and fall of its chest, eyes no longer pinched tight. But Chanyeol cannot relax yet. It may no longer be suffocating in his arms anymore, but it's still badly injured. Blood from its tail is pooling down the side of the bath, dripping onto the floor. Chanyeol needs to do something soon, or else he'll have a dead fish on his hands.

Jumping up from his knees, he dashes out of the room. There's a first aid kit in the kitchen, hidden somewhere under the sink, and a sewing kit in his room. He manages to find the former, bumping his head on the bottom of the kitchen sink in his eagerness to find it as quickly as he can. He quickly patches up his own bleeding finger before hurrying off to find the latter. 

He's about to enter the bathroom again when he remembers the barbed wire, curled around and piercing through the poor mermaid's tail. He shudders momentarily before turning back and entering his room. Dropping the kits on his desk, he gets onto his hands and knees and digs under his bed. There should be a toolbox there, a gift from his dad that he's only used once to build a shelf that immediately fell apart the moment he put something on it. After a few moments of frantically waving his arms about, his fingertips finally touch hard plastic. Pulling the box out, he clicks it open and digs around inside for a pair of wire clippers.

The apartment is silent as Chanyeol makes his way back to the bathroom, pausing the short walk only briefly to rummage into his coat pocket for a lighter. When he enters the bathroom the creature is lying on its back, head and shoulders completely submerged, tailfin now gingerly touching the floor. The bathtub is close to overflowing, and Chanyeol dives forward to twist the tap off before it drips over the edge. The tail wound is still bleeding all over the place. Even the water near the taps has turned a murky shade of pink. Chanyeol grimaces as he settles down on his knees at the far end of the tub, unpacking the first aid kit as quietly as he can so as not to disturb the resting beast.

For a second, he briefly considers calling one of his friends. Baekhyun, a young nurse from a city in the mainland that works in the hospital on Chanyeol's island, is far more qualified for something like this than he is. Sehun, for all his whining and quick quips at Chanyeol's expense, would help him out in a heartbeat, no questions asked. It's a ridiculous idea, and Chanyeol shakes it out of his head almost as soon as he thought of it. He can't back out now, not when this creature needs him. He can only pray that he doesn't make anything worse.

Standing up, he goes to wash his hands, forming a plan in his head. There's no way he can just pull the barbed wire out, so he has no choice but to clip it in the spaces between where it cuts through the membrane and flesh. If he makes the sections small enough he can just pull them through. It'll be messy and painful, but at least he might be able to get it all out before disinfecting the wounds, stitching them if necessary. He has a needle and some suture thread, and a lighter to disinfect it. If all goes to plan, the whole process could be over in minutes. He highly doubts that it will, but that doesn't stop him from hoping this nightmare of a situation will be over soon.

Chanyeol mumbles a quick prayer before bending down to pick up the wire clippers, dropping down to his knees to shuffle closer to the mermaid's bleeding fin. The biggest entry wound is on the outer edge of the fin, wire tearing through flesh and bone as opposed to the soft membrane. With shaking hands and a racing heart, Chanyeol lines up the clippers as close to the entrance wound as he can without disturbing it, and snips.

The reaction is almost instant. As soon as the clippers slice through the metal, the mermaid leaps out of the water with a shriek so piercing and feral it makes Chanyeol scream as he jumps. What he sees before scrambling back into the far wall is two pitch black eyes and long, razor sharp teeth, hurtling towards him like something from a horror film. His neck and shoulder burns like fire, and when he looks down, he sees that the corner of his shirt has been ripped open, revealing four violently red scratches that stretch down from the side of his jaw to just above his left nipple. Despite being rather shallow, they've already started to bleed, further staining what is left of his ruined shirt.

Chanyeol figures he probably deserved that.

The mermaid has dragged itself to the far end of the bath, tail pulled up against itself as if for protection, hissing aggressively in Chanyeol's direction. What was once a rather cute little creature, round eyes and soft, golden skin, is now a something akin to a monster, teeth like daggers extended out in fangs, and talons, stained red with Chanyeol's blood, poised to attack. What little seaweed that was still stuck to its crown has been pushed aside by two smaller fins on either side of its head that Chanyeol had not noticed before, both raised and lined with tiny spikes, the same pearlescent shade of black as the scales on its tail.

It must have been shocked when Chanyeol clipped the wire. It must have hurt a lot too. The last thing Chanyeol wants to do is scare the creature even more than it must be already.

The mermaid is still growling at him. It's a strange sound, like the hissing of an angry cat with the booming depth of whale song, and it only gets louder when Chanyeol shuffles closer. Stopping about halfway up the length of the bathtub, he raises his hands to show that there is nothing in them, and rests them gently on the edge of the tub. The mermaid starts to hiss and spit again, curling up into an even tighter ball, but Chanyeol doesn't move away, even though he is slightly terrified of being attacked again.

"I'm sorry for sneaking up on you. It must have scared you a lot. I'm sorry."

The growling doesn't stop, but it does get quieter. Chanyeol takes it as a sign that the animal is listening to him. "You need help, okay?" he says, keeping his voice low and unthreatening. "I need to get that wire out of you before you bleed anymore, or before you get an infection or something. I can't do that if you keep attacking me whenever I touch you."

The mermaid's eyes are large and round as they stare at Chanyeol from the bathtub. Although they are completely black, Chanyeol see's something human in them, a raw tenderness that shows pain and fear. The poor thing must be scared out of its mind, in a foreign habitat with a strange species poking and prodding at its wounds. Chanyeol hopes it can trust him, even just a little bit, to make sure it gets out of this situation in one piece.

"It's going to hurt, like really hurt, and you're going to be really uncomfortable for a while, but you have to let me do this. I don't want to hurt you, okay?"

Feeling unusually brave, he slowly and steadily reaches out a hand. The mermaid flinches away, still snarling, but it doesn't move to scratch him again when Chanyeol places his palm gently atop its head. The seaweed is slimy and the scales on its crown are rough and slightly sharp around the edges, but he starts to stroke nonetheless, light, soft strokes that he hopes will calm the creature down. He bites back a smile when, after half a minute or so, clicks start to mingle with the mermaid's growls. This might be working after all.

To his complete and utter surprise, the mermaid starts to uncurl its tail, stretching it out away from its body. It slowly lifts it out of the water, placing it with a soft thud on the edge of the bathtub, right where it was before Chanyeol spooked it. All the tension in Chanyeol's body seeps out as he lets out a slightly hysterical laugh, dragging his hand down from the creature's head to rest against its cheek instead. Elated, he beams at it with a smile.

"Thank you."

The mermaid does nothing but close its eyes, leaning back to rest its head against the wall again.

With that crisis averted, Chanyeol now has to move fast. The angle the mermaid had its tail when it was pressed against itself to protect it had merely forced more blood to seep out, turning the bath water an even darker shade of bloody pink. No wonder it gave up so quickly, Chanyeol thinks as he slides back over in the direction of the injured fin, it must be too weak to even want to fight back. Its chest isn't rising as strong as it was before. He really needs to patch up the poor creature before it's too late. 

Grabbing the clippers, Chanyeol gets back to work. At the first snip, second overall, the mermaid snaps and growls, hissing through pointed teeth. Chanyeol does his best to ignore it, snipping away at the wire so that the only parts left are the small chunks still embedded in the mermaid's flesh. Chanyeol slides the rusty pieces of wire far across the room, as far away from both of them as possible. He can clean them up later, when he isn't performing amateur surgery on an injured mythical creature in his goddamn bathtub using only a first aid kit and some wire clippers.

His next task is removing the embedded metal. The first aid kit beside him came with a pair of tweezers, and it's these that he uses to help poke the tiny pieces of wire, about a centimetre in length, through the thin sheets of membrane. He leaves the piece lodged in the flesh of the tail for last. He expected the mermaid to hate this part the most, and it does, thrashing about in the water as it screams and cries at the top of its lungs, fangs bared as it snarls in Chanyeol's direction. It's so horrifically loud that Chanyeol has to briefly pause to dive into his drawers and pull out a washcloth for the creature to bite on. It does little to smother the sound of its suffering, but at least Chanyeol can continue to work without worrying whether his neighbours can hear the screaming or not. If they can, they haven't complained yet. Hopefully they just think he's watching a movie too loud, rather than not-so secretly torturing someone in his apartment.

The metal in the flesh of the tail is the hardest to remove. It's the deepest wound, the wire having somehow sawed its way through the thick layer of scales and flesh, several centimetres deep. The piece of wire inside is long, barbs tearing into flesh as Chanyeol carefully picks it out with the tweezers. He swallows down the bile that rises in his throat as he holds apart the wound with his fingers to see better. 

Across from him, the mermaid has stopped screaming altogether, now only sobbing and whimpering quietly. Chanyeol wants to cry with it but he keeps on working, sweat beading down his brow as he fiddles with the length of wire. Finally, after what seems like hours but is probably only a minute or so, Chanyeol manages to pull it free, throwing it across the room to join the other pieces, letting out a satisfied sigh when it bounces off the wall and clangs onto the ground.

"It's almost over," he says to the creature, who is staring back at him through pained, hooded eyes. "Just one thing left to do, I promise."

Chanyeol takes a few seconds to ground himself, releasing a breath he didn't realise he was holding as he stands up to wash his hands. When he's done, he gets back down onto his knees and picks up the needle he had taken from the sewing kit. He takes the lighter from his pocket and runs the needle through the flame, and when he feels he has heated it enough to disinfect it, he threads the suture thread through the eye and runs both through an alcohol soaked cloth. He uses a separate cloth to disinfect the tail wound, dabbing away the dried and fresh blood surrounding it. The mermaid writhes and hisses at the pain, but Chanyeol doesn't stop until it's completely clean, or at least as clean as he can make it with the limited resources at his disposal. 

He has absolutely no idea what he's doing, his only knowledge on stitches being the few he's had to endure at the hospital in his younger years. His hands shake as he sews up the largest wound, following the simple instructions he has open on his phone beside him. The holes in the mermaid's membrane should heal up over time, but the tear in the flesh is too deep to just leave on its own. As much as Chanyeol hates the idea of sewing someone's skin back together, it's necessary if he doesn’t want the mermaid to keel over from blood loss or infection, and he performs every stitch and every tug with as much accuracy as he can. When the last hoop is made, closing the wound completely, he almost bursts into tears, knotting the thread through blurred eyes before snipping off the extra length with the discarded wire clippers.

That's it. He's done. It's finally over. For what seems like the first time that day, Chanyeol breathes, long and slow, collapsing from his knees to his bottom, arms hanging heavily at his sides, the objects in his hands clattering to the floor.

"It's over. You're okay. You're going to be fine."

Black eyes stare at him, bottomless and beautiful, and Chanyeol doesn't know if he can look at them anymore. He's covered from head to toe in blood, and he has no idea which stains are his and which ones aren't. He turns away from the bathtub, shock and disgust churning in his stomach, and the gravity of what he's just done hits him like a freight train, the room spinning around him in a blur of bright red, black, and sweet pearlescent gold.

He didn't realise how exhausted he was. His arms feel like they're made of stone. Somehow, he manages to stumble up onto his feet, shuffling one foot in front of the other to leave the bathroom and the mermaid behind him. He's so tired, so very, very tired, and, as he wanders over to his couch in a daze, he feels like he could sleep for a hundred years.

His last thoughts, as he collapses backwards onto the couch, inky blackness swallowing him whole, are of the clouds, the boats, the monotonous rhythm of the tide, and the delicate softness of wet skin under his fingers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as a side note, if you are ever caught in a situation where someone or yourself is hurt and needs drastic medical attention, please please please never attempt to fix it yourself unless you know exactly what your doing or are with a medical professional! always try to get to the hospital or at least get help first before even considering to do it yourself. this should only be done in extreme situations when it is absolutely necessary! stay safe guys!
> 
> as always, thank you for reading! please feel free to come yell at me on [tumblr](http://kokokysoo.tumblr.com/ask) or in the comments if you have any questions or simply just want to scream about stuff, i always reply and i'm always up for a chat!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the long wait! thank you for being patient with me!

Chanyeol wakes to a pounding in his head and the sounds of seagulls squawking outside.

He yawns and stretches, long limbs spilling over either side of the couch. He hasn't fully found consciousness yet, his mind still fuzzy and tethered to sleep, and in his drowsy daze he ends up rolling off the edge of the cushions, landing face first with a crash onto the floor. Now fully awake, he scrambles up from the floor and climbs back onto the couch, wincing as his bones creak and crack.

It's starting to darken outside. Squinting, Chanyeol blinks at the clock on the wall, frowning when he sees that the time is 3:34 p.m. How long has he been asleep? He doesn't remember passing out on the couch either. Yawning again, he leans back, letting his head bounce against the couch cushions behind him.

The first thing he notices is that his finger and chest really, really hurt. Looking at his hand, the bandage around his finger is starting to speckle with dots of red, telling him that he should change it soon. When did he cut his hand? He lifts his other hand up to feel his chest, wincing when his finger touches something tender and sore. They feel like scratches, raised and burning. When did he do that? And why is his shirt ripped?

His head feels like it's about to explode, temples beating like a drum. Confused and tired, Chanyeol stretches again, bringing his hands up to his face. It takes him a few seconds of rubbing his eyes to realise that the pounding isn't coming from inside his head, but from somewhere down the hall.

There's someone at the door.

Letting a groan slip from his lips, Chanyeol stands up, knees wobbling slightly as he stretches, sighing contently at the sound of all the joints in his spine creaking and cracking. He stumbles down the hall, body aching from sleeping on the couch all day. He would rather go back to sleep and not answer the door at all, but what if it's his landlord? With an exhausted sigh, he puts on a smile and opens the door.

"Oh, dear God, Chanyeol, what the fuck happened to you?"

On the other side of the door stands Sehun, nose and cheeks nipped red by the chilly winter winds, the lower half of his face buried in a thick winter coat and scarf. His angled eyebrows shoot up into his forehead, disappearing beneath strands of dyed blonde hair, and he's staring at Chanyeol like he has three heads, scanning his eyes over his friend's body with a look of pure disgusted horror.

Chanyeol blinks at him, confused. What's wrong with him? Is there something on his face? He is about to ask what the problem is when the memories of what happened that morning, only eight hours ago, hit him so hard he almost trips over his own feet. The beach, the pier, the tail caught in wire, and black eyes like a galaxy, all flash through his mind in a matter of seconds. He glances down at himself and blanches when he sees he is covered from head to toe in blood and salt, dried like a crust on every other inch of visible bare skin. He looks like an extra in a horror movie. No wonder Sehun looks like he's going to gag at any second.

Well, shit.

In a sudden and desperate attempt to diffuse the situation, Chanyeol lets out what he hopes is a cheerful laugh. "What are you on about?" He puts on the most convincing smile he can muster, praying that he doesn't look as awful as he feels. "Nothing's happened. I'm fine."

He knows he's failed miserably when Sehun gawks at him from beneath his scarf. "You are literally covered in blood." He puts his hands on Chanyeol's shoulders and forcefully spins him around, spluttering at the numerous blood spots that stain his clothes and skin. "Jesus Christ, hyung, did you murder someone? Did you murder several people?"

Spluttering, Chanyeol swats him away. "Shut up, you brat, I haven't murdered anyone." He wraps his arms around himself, a poor attempt at shielding his appearance. "I was just-," he pauses to think of an excuse, "-I was helping Mr Choi gut fish this morning."

"That's why you weren't in today? You were gutting fish with Mr Choi?"

"Yes," Chanyeol mumbles, rubbing his nose. "I was gutting fish. With Mr Choi."

He is utterly done for.

Unsurprisingly, the other man is not convinced. "What were they, sharks?" Sehun drawls, crossing his arms over his chest and scanning his eyes over Chanyeol's blood-soaked shirt and jeans. He looks amused, if anything, the little shit. Chanyeol would remind him to respect his elders if he knew Sehun would listen to him in the first place.

"Something like that," he snaps with an irritated sigh. He receives a sceptically arched brow in return.

Chanyeol really isn't in the mood for this. He loves Sehun like a brother, but at this moment in time all he really wants is for the younger man to go away and leave him in peace. His friend is naturally curious and incredibly stubborn, a combination of characteristics that Chanyeol doesn't have the energy to fight off in his current state. He smells like a fishmonger and the cut on his finger is throbbing painfully. Sehun means well, but now is not the time.

"What are you here for?" he asks.

If he sounds irritated, Sehun doesn't mention it. The young man shrugs his bag off his back and zips it open, digging around inside. "I saved you some lecture handouts and thought I would stop by to give them to you." He pulls a bunch of crumpled up sheets of paper out of his bag and hands them over, turning back to his bag to search again. "You won't murder me as well if I say I spilled coffee on one of them, right?"

"I might."

After rummaging around a little more, Sehun hands over more sheets of battered paper, having ignored Chanyeol's comment, as usual. "That should be everything," he says, zipping his bag up and throwing it back over his shoulder. He looks up and down Chanyeol's body one more time before grimacing and taking a step back.

"I'm going to go now, hyung. Please shower, you smell like a dock-side serial killer."

He starts off walking down the corridor and towards the stairs before Chanyeol has time to poke him. "Will do," he says instead, leaning out the door to call after him, feeling a little guilty for being so rude. "Thanks a bunch, Sehun. You're a life saver."

"I know," the blonde calls back. "If the police come knocking at my door asking about any missing persons, I will do my best not to give them your address!"

"Great. Thanks again."

Chanyeol closes the door and leans up against it, running his hands over his face. That really was a close call. If Sehun had wanted to come inside, he doesn't know what he would have done. All that work to keep the mermaid's existence a secret would be for nothing. It's not that he doesn't trust his best friend, but he would rather not run the risk of it getting out to the public. It could be dangerous, for everyone involved.

The stench of his own body is only just starting to reach his nose and he feels absolutely disgusting. His skin is caked in sea salt and dried blood, and there are bits of seaweed and dirt in his hair and under his fingernails. His stomach feels empty, rumbling like an earthquake in the quiet of his apartment, but at that moment all he wants to do is take an hour-long shower and fall into an a hundred year-long coma. He feels like he deserves that at least, after the day he has had. 

With an exhausted sigh, he pushes himself off the door and wanders over to the bathroom, kicking the door open with his foot.

What greets him is the sight of the mermaid in his bathtub chewing on the lid of a bath soak bottle.

"Hey, stop that!" he shouts, marching forwards to snatch the bottle from the mermaid's hands. The creature startles and shrieks, sending a tidal wave of water flying over the edge of the tub. Chanyeol takes a few steps back when the mermaid takes a swipe at him with a clawed hand, teeth sharp as it snarls and hisses in his direction. 

He had forgotten what it looked like when it was angry, but the sight of its black eyes and fangs are not as terrifying to him as they were before. In fact, they only prove to bolster his exhaustion even more.

"Enough of that," he snaps, rolling his eyes at the mess the creature is making. The water is a deep pink colour, tinted by all the blood the creature lost yesterday, and every drop that flushes out of the tub is staining his bathmat and wetting his socked feet. He's far too tired to deal with this right now, and when the mermaid attempts to scratch him again, he merely bops it on the head with the bottom of the bottle, stunning it momentarily into silence. After a few seconds of stillness, the mermaid's face shifts into a scowl, and it snarls at him one last time before turning away and facing the wall, arms crossed. 

Chanyeol rolls his eyes again. Is it really sulking right now?

He should probably change the water soon. Not only is the blood starting to stain the sides of the bath, a thin, red stripe running around the circumference like some twisted race track, but sitting in your own blood isn't really the best of healing conditions. The mermaid's chest, stomach, and back are also smudged red, swipes of crimson and bloody handprints littering its skin like faded tattoos. It seems that Chanyeol isn't the only one in need of a good wash. With an amused smirk tugging at the corner of his lips, he walks over to the shelves on the other side of the room, surveying the damage to the bottle in his hands.

The cap is battered and almost a completely different shape to what it was before, but Chanyeol can't see any holes or punctures in the thin plastic. It calms his fears that the mermaid had accidentally consumed any of the liquid inside. He didn't carry it to his home all the way from the other side of the island and spend almost an hour patching its wounds for it to die from eating bubbles.

He places the bottle on the tallest shelf. There's no way the creature could reach even the lowest shelf, what with it being stuck on the other side of the room, but he just wants to make completely sure the dumb thing doesn't get hold of it and poison itself under his watch. He does the same with the other bottles he has beside his bathtub, as well as a razor, and the few bath toys he owns for when his niece and nephew visit.

(It's not that he thinks the mermaid will choke on them or anything, but he doesn't think his sister would be very impressed if he gave her children a bunch of broken, chewed-up toys to play with the next time he was tasked with babysitting them - not that she'd be very impressed to find out he has a mythical creature living with him in the first place, but he's sure damaged toys wouldn't work in his favour either.)

Behind him, the mermaid sits in silence. Chanyeol can feel its eyes heavy on his back as he moves back and forth, bundling as much as he can into his large arms before the creature gets hold of them first. Their eyes meet once or twice, and each time something flickers down Chanyeol's spine, hairs standing up on his arms. He's not frightened, mildly concerned at worst, but there's something about the creature that leaves him a little lost, a little on edge. Maybe it's the strength of its gaze, dark black pools pulling him in, or the reflection of the light on its shimmering scales, so rough and shiny. Whatever it is, he tries not to think about it too much. He's too busy to focus on such strange thoughts.

It takes him a few minutes to clear away everything. Satisfied that he has mermaid-proofed the bathtub, he turns back around to face the bath and start his next task: changing the bath water.

Heaven help him.

"Please don't freak out," he says in a hushed voice as he walks over to the bath. The mermaid's eyes have not left him even for a second, watching him closely like a hawk, lips curled downwards. It looks rather cross. Muttering a prayer, Chanyeol bends down and reaches out to wrap one arm around its back, ignoring how the creature starts to growl viciously, scrambling back as far away as it can. He does his best to ignore its protests as he drops his other arm to curl underneath its tail, lifting it out of the water and cradling it in his arms for the second time that day. 

Despite being weakened by blood loss; the mermaid is still incredibly agile. It makes its unhappiness with its current situation obvious, thrashing around in Chanyeol's arms and shrieking like a banshee in his ear, and Chanyeol can only tighten his grip to stop it from toppling out his arms. He makes quick work of carrying it over to the shower, thanking all those involved for blessing him with long legs as he bends down and drops the writhing creature unceremoniously onto the shower floor. It makes a move to attack him with its claws again, but Chanyeol is too quick, turning on the shower and dashing backwards to avoid the sharp talons.

With the angry fish out of the way, Chanyeol gets to work. Pulling the plug, he pauses for a moment to watch the water swirl away before dashing into the kitchen to get a sponge and some cleaning supplies. The red ring around the bathtub edge is weak and comes off easily with a few scrubs, but the pooling blood in the far corner where the creature's damaged tail had rested takes a bit longer to work away. He wipes up all the blood as best he can, even the puddles on the floor, and when he's done he spritzes the bath with some surface cleaner and scrubs everything all over again, just to be sure. You can never be too thorough, he considers, especially with the life of another in your hands.

Rinsing off the cleaner with the cup he had left on the floor, Chanyeol steps back to admire his handy-work. He has never cleaned a bath before, but he reckons he's done a pretty decent job, bubbling brightly at the sight of his now squeaky-clean tub. His mother would be proud of him, or at least he likes to think so.

The mermaid has been surprisingly quiet. As he cleaned, Chanyeol would occasionally hear little clicks and chirps coming from that side of the room, muffled by the running shower, but other than that he hasn’t heard a peep. Peering round the edge of the shower door after packing away his cleaning equipment, Chanyeol finds out why.

The creature's face is turned up against the cascading water, eyes closed, and muscles relaxed, its body curled like a cat to keep as much of itself under the water as possible. All the blood from its skin has washed away, revealing plains of translucent skin, dotted with stripes of scales. Chanyeol's eyes trail down the top of its bare head to the wound on its tail, the only part of it that is hanging out of the shower, swaying contently. A soft smile sits delicately on its lips.

For a moment, Chanyeol forgets what he's doing. The mermaid is quite astonishing to look at. With its eyes closed and expression calm, Chanyeol can believe that it is the same creature he's seen in books and movies his entire life. He's always known mermaids to be hauntingly beautiful women that sit on rocks and wear shell bras and lead unsuspecting sailors to their deaths at sea. They look more human than fish, soft skin and long, flowing hair, and have unearthly voices that can entice even the hardiest of men, melt the coldest of hearts.

The mermaid in front of him looks a lot like that right now, minus the hair and shell bra. Chanyeol can see why people all over the world are in love with these otherworldly beings. The tales of the many men that have fallen for them only to be swallowed by the ocean make a lot more sense. In another life, maybe Chanyeol would have fallen too.

He is ripped from his thoughts when the creature opens its eyes. The eyes are so dark and cold. Fish eyes. It glares when it sees him, beautiful face shifting into a snarl. Chanyeol shakes his head and bends down, scooping the mermaid back up into his arms and walking across the room to lower it gently into the clean bath water.

It only protests a little, spitting at Chanyeol for a mere moment before it realises what he's doing and goes quiet, keeping itself still as it is slowly submerged. Chanyeol thinks it still looks rather cross, a scowl on its little round face, but the clicks escaping from deep within its throat give it away. He tries not to smile as he lets go, the bones in his back creaking and cracking as he stands up straight.

The mermaid is light, barely weighs anything at all. The poor thing must be starving, now that he thinks about it. How long ago did it last eat?

Judging from the way it curls in on itself, ribs visible beneath ghostly white skin, it must have been a very long time since its last meal. And even if it wasn't, it needs to keep its energy up, so it can heal properly. It can't live in his bathtub forever; Chanyeol wants it gone as soon as possible, especially if it keeps on making a mess in his nice, clean bathroom. He wouldn't be surprised if the people in the flat below him complain about water leaking through the ceiling with the amount that has ended up on the floor. 

He does a quick mental scan of how much food he has in the apartment. He was planning on going grocery shopping later in the week, so there probably isn't that much left in the fridge and cupboards to last more than a couple of days. Since he'll be feeding more than just his own mouth for a while, Chanyeol reasons that he'll definitely run out of food in even less time. He should probably go shopping soon before that happens.

Across from him, a small gurgle rumbles from the mermaid's belly. It grumbles, hand over its stomach. Chanyeol does the same when he own stomach replies in turn, a frustrated whine leaving his throat. What do mermaids even eat? He finds himself thinking. Fish? Seaweed? If only half an hour or so has passed since he woke up at half three, the supermarket nearby (the only one on the island) should still be open for another few hours. If he goes now, he can get all he needs to keep his fridge and cupboards stocked for a couple of weeks at least - and feed the grumpy fish living in his bathroom.

He can't do that until he has a shower, however.

"Right. How am I going to do this?"

It should be simple, really. Chanyeol is a grown ass man and has taken many, many showers in his life, so this should be a easy, uncomplicated process. All he has to do is get naked and hop under the water, and he'll be out in no time. It's his house, he should be able to wash his body without scrutiny, right? Right. Turning to face the wall, he reaches down and tugs at the hem of his shirt, moving to pull it over his head.

The heavy, uncomfortable feeling of being watched stops him from leaping into action. Peeking over his shoulder, Chanyeol confirms that the mermaid is still staring at him, eyes fixated on Chanyeol's body like a hungry shark preparing to strike. A blush finds its way onto his cheeks and he feels unbelievably exposed, fondling the fabric of his shirt in his fingers. The mermaid is part fish, yes, but it's also part human, and Chanyeol can't say he's ever been victim to so strong a gaze before, not even by past lovers.

"Could you, um, turn the other way? Please?"

The mermaid doesn't even blink. It was worth a try at least.

He shakes his head, wiping any unwanted thoughts from his mind. Swallowing his embarrassment, Chanyeol whips off his blood-stained shirt, dropping it onto the floor. He can feel the creature's eyes trailing up and down his bare back, and his mouth goes dry as he tugs off his jeans, leaving him in nothing but his underwear and socks. 

Ignoring the heat in his cheeks and ears, he quickly pulls down his underwear, kicks off his socks, and dives into the shower. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is a lot more fluffy in comparison to the last two. this is also a double update, so don't forget to read the next chapter!
> 
> as always, thank you for reading! please tell me what you think! feel free to come yell at me on [tumblr](http://kokokysoo.tumblr.com/ask) or in the comments if you have any questions or simply just want to scream about stuff, i always reply and i'm always up for a chat!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is a double update! don't forget to read the chapter before!

"I'm back!" he says when he bursts through the door, arms weighed down with handfuls of shopping bags. His response is in the form of a low grunt followed by several clicks, and Chanyeol finds himself smiling as he kicks the door closed and shuffles inside. 

Despite it being almost closing time at the supermarket, the building had been bustling, school children and elderly women clogging up the aisles and checkout lanes like hair in a drain. It had taken him far longer than he would have liked to do his fortnightly shop and being quizzed by random strangers as to why he's buying enough fish to feed a family of seven didn't help either. He kicks off his shoes and drops his keys into the bowl on his coffee table, taking a few seconds to breathe energy back into his limbs.

He heads to the kitchen first, dumping the bags on the counter with a grunt. He really did buy a lot of fish; he was unsure of how much the mermaid would eat if it had gone without food for a while, so he just bought all that was there. 

The fishmongers at the stall were stunned speechless when he asked for the entirety of today's stock. He's known the brothers all his life; Minseok used to babysit him when he was younger and Jongdae flicked pencil shavings into his hair during physics lessons in high school; and he has never seen them quite so gobsmacked until then. "They should be happy," Chanyeol grumbles to himself as he unloads the shopping bags, "it's their bank account that's getting fatter, not mine."

He sorts through his groceries first, taking out the stacks of fresh trout, salmon, and every other fish you can find, and leaving them on the side for later. He knows that if he goes to eat now and doesn't put everything away first that there'll be jars and cans just sat on the side for days. Who knows when he'll get round to clearing it all up? When everything is stored away, he picks out one of every type of fish he bought, putting them to the side and storing the rest in the freezer.

The gurgling sounds coming from his stomach remind him that he hasn't eaten since breakfast that morning. With his hunger urging him on, he quickly throws together a simple stir fry, throwing a grilled trout on top for good measure. His belly is screaming to be filled, so he arranges the fresh fish on a plate he took from the drying rack next to the sink, grabs his plate and a pair of chopsticks, and walks out of the kitchen and over to the bathroom, nudging the door open with his foot.

The merman is exactly where he left it (as Chanyeol had expected, but that still doesn't stop him letting out a sign of relief that the creature hadn't escaped out of the window or something), slouched against the back of the bath, its tail flicking agitatedly in a way that reminds Chanyeol of a disgruntled cat. It looks over in Chanyeol's direction but makes no move to greet him or acknowledge him beyond that, choosing instead to stare at the wall in the opposite direction. Chanyeol rolls his eyes, sighing to himself as he sits down on the toilet, balancing his plate of stir fry on the sink and the plate of fish on his lap.

"Now," he starts, addressing the mermaid directly. It shifts to look at him before turning its eyes back to the wall. "I don't know what your… people, I guess- your people eat, so I just got everything."

He picks up the trout by the tail, holding it out in front of him. The movement catches the mermaid's attention and it shifts to face him, fins on the back of its head twitching. It leans forwards, nostrils flaring as it gives the trout a few sniffs. Chanyeol bites his lip to stop himself from laughing. For something with a ruddy great fish tail, the creature really does remind him of a kitten, quiet and dismissive but oh so curious, the tips of its tail brushing against Chanyeol's knees as it flicks from side to side.

"Do you like it? I know it's dead, but it's extra fresh, just caught this morning. Or at least I think was."

Lifting a black scaled hand, the mermaid takes the trout from Chanyeol's own, bringing it up to its face for closer inspection. Chanyeol watches in silence, right leg bouncing as the mermaid sniffs it a few more times, dark brown, oily scales visible between the creatures long fingers. Finally, after what feels like minutes, the mermaid opens its mouth and takes a bite.

The entire thing is gone in seconds.

Chanyeol cannot swallow his amusement, chuckling as the mermaid licks its lips, quiet purring filling the room. "Wow. You must be hungry, huh." He picks up the plate on his lap and places it on the edge of the bathtub, and almost instantly the mermaid's head snaps towards it, hand reaching out to pick up another fish, which it sniffs cautiously before devouring whole.

"Slow down!" Chanyeol laughs, but the creature merely snarls at him, swiftly moving on to the next morsel. Afraid that the creature may choke if it keeps eating that way, he reaches out to take the plate back. The mermaid instantly freezes, pausing mid-chew to snap its jaws in his direction, and Chanyeol mumbles an apology before withdrawing his hand. It's only when it's fully in his lap again that the mermaid dives back in, tearing the flesh of the fish apart with its dagger-like teeth and swallowing the mouthfuls loudly.

Content that his new companion is satisfied, Chanyeol picks up his own food and starts to eat as well. It's a little cold, having been sat on the floor for a while, but it's still edible and quite delicious, if Chanyeol says so himself. He always knew that he was a culinary genius, and this stir fry is only further proof of his mastery. It's not like there's anyone around to argue against him, so he sits and eats comfortably, taking the time to observe the creature in front of him.

The mermaid doesn't fit in the bathtub fully. Its torso, waist, and upper tail are all within the boundaries of the bathtub walls, mostly submerged. However, from the shoulders up and mid-tail down, the mermaid's body is still exposed to the air. Chanyeol rarely takes baths himself for that reason (he's just too darn large to sit inside comfortably and still have space to relax) and he's certainly a lot bigger in both height and width than the creature, who Chanyeol now sees is actually quite small. He hopes that's because the mermaid is simply just a small fellow, and not because it is a child or teenager, somehow separated from his family - or shoal, he supposes is a more accurate term. It does come from the sea, after all.

Shovelling more noodles into his mouth, Chanyeol's brow furrows in thought. Do merpeople even have families? His only point of reference is The Little Mermaid, and while it is a great movie, he's pretty sure it's not the most accurate of sources. His grandfather was a fisherman (and he's watched Blue Planet) and he knows that fish usually leave their young to defend themselves after they've all hatched, so maybe the mermaid has no family at all. But it's half human, so it must be different from other sea creatures, right?

If it is different, would that make it a mammal and not a fish? If the lady mermaids have breasts, then they must produce milk, meaning that they are mammals. But with their lower half being all fish, they must reproduce the same way fish do, which means eggs and no live young. So is it both a mammal and a fish? Chanyeol hums through his mouthful, brain whirring as his mind conjures up a million thoughts and questions he will probably never get the answer to.

He's mid-way through wondering how often he'll need to change the bathwater if the mermaid poops like a goldfish when he notices that the bathroom is eerily silent. Looking up from his plate, he sees that the mermaid is looking at him, Whitby jet eyes wide and round like records. Beside it, the plate on the edge of the bathtub is completely empty, practically licked clean with absolutely no evidence that there was anything ever on it. Barely five minutes have passed since Chanyeol sat down, and there was enough fish on that plate for a day's worth of meals! How did it eat it all so fast?

"What's wrong?" he asks. "Was it not good?"

It takes Chanyeol a moment to realise that the mermaid isn't looking at him, however, but at his own plate, still piled high with noodles and stir fried vegetables. 

"You want this as well? Even after all that?"

He looks down and back up again, confirming that yes, the mermaid is definitely after his meal. A surge of protectiveness runs through him and he pulls the plate back, shielding it with his arm. It's not that he doesn't mind sharing, but it's a really good stir fry! He made it especially for himself, not for mythical creatures that hiss at him every time he gets too close. "You've already eaten," he says, forcing finality into his tone. "You can't have this as well. This is mine, not yours."

But then the mermaid peers up at him, purrs, pouts, and licks its lips, and Chanyeol knows he's already lost.

"Ugh, fine," he groans, rolling his eyes and handing the plate out so the mermaid can take it. The creature pays him no mind as it dives in, scoops up handfuls of noodles and shoves them in its mouth, chewing happily. Chanyeol is certainly annoyed that his food was stolen from him, but as the room echoes with clicks and cheerful squeaks, he finds himself feeling a little less vexed. Only a little, mind. He's still very hungry, already planning another meal out in his head, but at least the mermaid isn't as grumpy anymore. Silver linings, he tells himself. Silver linings.

With both plates now cleared, the mermaid seems a lot more relaxed. Chanyeol leaves to put the dishes in the sink (he'll clean them up later) and when he comes back he finds the creature lying back and chirping to itself, eyes closed. It's tummy looks a lot softer, a bit more full, and Chanyeol smiles. Like this, it looks more approachable, more friendly. Maybe all it needed was a full stomach to feel comfortable around him. Maybe it isn't so afraid of him anymore.

But why would it not be? Chanyeol is a stranger, a completely foreign species. He plucked it from its habitat and dragged it across land to an unfamiliar place, left it sitting in a enclosed pool of dirty water for hours by itself. Yes, he stitched up its wounds and gave it food, but for all he knows his people could be the ones responsible for hurting it in the first place. If Chanyeol were in the same position, he would be afraid and cautious too. What reason would he have to feel any different?

He wishes that there were a way he could communicate with it, to tell it that he's a friend. Suddenly, an idea sparks inside his head.

Pumping himself up with a clenched fist, he prays that he's making the right choice as he walks over and plops himself down beside the bathtub with his legs crossed, arms folded in his lap.

"Hey there."

He sits and waits for the creature to notice him. It seems to be ignoring him, so after a few seconds of nothing, Chanyeol taps on the side of the bathtub with his finger and calls it again. This time, one of the mermaid's closed eyes slowly slips open, glaring at him. Chanyeol shuffles a little closer, ignoring the warning growl that vibrates from deep within the creature's chest. He puts on a friendly smile. 

"We should probably get to know each other, seeing as you'll be staying here for a while."

Here goes nothing. Removing a hand from his lap, Chanyeol points to himself. "My name is Chanyeol." He points at the creature. "What's yours?"

The mermaid just stares.

It doesn't seem to understand him. Chanyeol sighs, but he isn't deterred. He tries again. 

"Chanyeol," he says, placing a hand on his chest before holding it out towards the creature, nodding his head encouragingly. His reply is in the form of its other eye opening, and Chanyeol takes that as a sign that the mermaid is listening to him. It's as good a reason to go on if any, so he gives it another go, enunciating each individual syllable slowly and carefully, as if he were talking to a child.

"Chan-yeol. Park Chan-yeol. Does that make sense?"

The mermaid is watching his, following the movement of his hand each time he gestures between them, but it makes no effort to reply. Not a click or growl, or even a sigh, leaves its mouth. But Chanyeol is not one to give in so easily, and he keeps going, tries several times, each time pausing for the creature to say something back.

He gets nothing but a blank stare every time.

After minutes have passed with nothing but Chanyeol repeating his own name, he finally stops trying, slumping in defeat. "So, I guess you can't understand me then," he says quietly. "Oh well. It doesn't matter, anyway." 

He can't help but feel a little disappointed. It's not like he was expecting anything big or extraordinary, like for it to jump up and start reciting Shakespeare to him or anything. He was just hoping that there was something else there. He wants the creature to trust him (because it clearly doesn't - or does so very little) and knowing his name could help build some semblance of understanding between them.

But it seems it wasn't meant to be. With a resigned, sigh, Chanyeol uncrosses his legs and pushes himself up onto his feet. He takes a moment to stretch, working the numbness out of his legs. "I'll check on you later," he says to the mermaid, and when he gets nothing in reply, he walks away to leave the room. 

He's halfway out the door when he hears a voice.

"Chanyeol."

It's deep, silent, and haunting, like distant whale song, barely above a whisper. Chanyeol freezes still, a shiver running down his spine, and he turns around slowly, as if moving any faster might frighten the sound and scare it away. The mermaid hasn't moved an inch, a statue in the crystal water of the bathtub, but there's something about its expression that has Chanyeol taking a single step forwards, hairs standing up on his arms.

"What did you say?"

He must be imagining things. The stress of the past day and too much time spent talking to himself is starting to have a negative effect on him. He needs some more sleep, and something to eat. He shakes his head and runs his hands through his hair, but movement draws his attention back to the bathtub, where the mermaid has turned its head to face him, black eyes pulling him in.

"Chanyeol."

The creature's lips shift in a way that is deeply mesmerising. They sound out the shape of Chanyeol's name strangely, the syllables clearly foreign to the creature's tongue. It's alien, inhuman almost, but its voice is glistening, electric like ocean thunder, as soft as the surface of a pearl. Chanyeol walks towards it, dropping to his knees beside the bathtub and gripping on tightly to the edge.

"Yes. My name is Chanyeol."

"Chanyeol."

The creature sits up, shifting closer to sit on its side. Chanyeol doesn't flinch when a pair of hands rise from the water and press gently against his cheeks. Closing his eyes, he lets the mermaid touch him. He's a little embarrassed, but if it means that the creature is one step closer to trusting him, then he doesn't mind. He's poked and prodded at it enough already; now it's his turn.

He prays that it doesn't try to drown him.

It starts from his jaw, rough fingertips brushing over stubble and shaving scars. Trailing up his chin, it rubs the surface of his lips before moving up to his nose. Chanyeol likes his nose; it's strong - a king's nose, his mother would say - and he hopes the mermaid likes it too. 

Fingers travel up his skin and stroke along his brow, smoothing out his eyebrows. Chanyeol knows that the creature has no eyebrows itself, has no biological use for them, so they must look and feel very strange to the other species. The mermaid touches his eyelids briefly before moving up to the top of his head, running wet hands through his hair, feeling the shape of Chanyeol's head beneath its palms. It feels nice, and Chanyeol bites his lip to stop himself from making any embarrassing noises that might scare the mermaid away.

When the hands stop moving he opens his eyes. The mermaid's face is centre metres from his own, their noses almost touching. He can feel it's breath on his skin; it's surprisingly warm, for something that lives in the depths of the ocean. He knows that his face is most likely a horrendous shade of red, blushing like a school child all the way to the tips of his ears. He wants to move away to regain what little there is left of his dignity, but somehow, for some reason, he finds that he can't, too caught up in the depth of the mermaid's eyes, the strength of it's stare. How could he move away, when he feels like this?

"What's your name?" he asks softly. "Do you have one?"

"Chanyeol."

He exhales a laugh. "I guess not." Maybe he should just give it a name himself? He doesn't own this creature, it isn't his pet, but Chanyeol doesn't think he can keep referring to it as 'it' for much longer. The mermaid can't speak his language, can't form words the same way he can, but that doesn't mean it can't have an identity, at least while it's under Chanyeol's care. It may be half fish, but there is humanity there, somewhere. It's only fair that it gets a name of its own. Chanyeol can give it- no, _him_ , that at least.

He thinks, very hard, for perhaps a bit too long. A name is important, and he doesn't want to mess it up. He thinks of past friends and foes, of characters from his favourite books and video games, foreign lakes and rivers and oceans. It's a few moments before he settles on one, feels it out with his tongue, and when his focus returns to the creature before him, he knows he's found the right one. 

"Kyungsoo," he says. "I think I'll call you Kyungsoo."

Kyungsoo smiles, a brilliant, ethereal smile, and deep down, Chanyeol's chest feels warm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> in case you were wondering, here are my thoughts on the mermaid biology mentioned in this chapter (prepare for upcoming strange and creepy mythical science):
> 
> \- from what i know, how most fish reproduce is that the female will lay her eggs somewhere and a male will ejaculate over them, thereby fertilizing them. it's....kinda gross when you think about it, but it makes more sense in my head for a mermaid to do that (seeing as its lower half is all fish) rather than get it on like mammals and have live young.
> 
> \- if the upper half is all human, than in my mind they would also produce milk to rear their children on. i would also say that they are warm blooded, like humans. you are more likely to find mermaids living in warmer waters, if they can be found at all.... they also hibernate (more on that at a later date). 
> 
> \- i would like to think that because they are mythical creatures, mermaids would not go to the toilet at all (they're too darn pretty for that) but because this fic is taking a more realistic approach, i'm afraid they do poop and pee.... poor chanyeol....
> 
> \- because their bodies are both fish and human, mermaids would have their own category of classification! being both a mammal and fish is literally impossible, so if they existed they would have to have their own little subgroup somewhere. i'm not a biologist so i don't know how it works lol.
> 
> as always, thank you for reading! please tell me what you think! feel free to come yell at me on [tumblr](http://kokokysoo.tumblr.com/ask) or in the comments if you have any questions or simply just want to scream about stuff, i always reply and i'm always up for a chat!
> 
> **update 19/11/18:** i changed the ending of this chapter a little bit because after reading over it again i decided i didn't like it. it makes a tiny bit more sense now, i think. sorry if you preferred the original.


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